Guest Review: Doghouse, A Gin & Tonic Mystery by L.A. Kornetsky @LAGilman

Cristina Reviews Doghouse by L.A. Kornetsky

Cristina’s Review

I will start by confessing that I am an animal lover, plus, a volunteer with an animal rescue in my city.  When Doghouse by L.A. Koernetsky crossed my path I was excited when I read what it was about.  Everything I liked in one story! One of my favorite genres mixed with passion for cats and dogs! I was not disappointed.  This book really is a “good bone to chew”! You do not need to have read the previous books to enjoy this latest book in the series. Although you will probably want to when you are done! That’s what’s happened to me. The characters hook you from the moment you start reading. You meet two amateur detectives, Toni Tonica and Ginny Mallard, amateur detectives who mix their wits and charm to find the truth behind the rumor, or was it true? (I’ll leave it to you to find out!) Both have the indirect help of their pets, Georgie, a sharpie and Penny, a cat. The plot kept me intrigued and I now I can’t wait to read the other two books in the Gin & Tonic mystery series.

 I give this book 5 Woofs!

Be sure to add this book/series to your TBR list today!

 

Praise for the third Gin & Tonic Mystery, Doghouse:

“Infamously nosy Ginny Mallard may be unlicensed as an investigator, but she has begun to make a name for herself as the unofficial champion of the tongue-tied.  In the third installment of L.A. Kornetsky’s Gin & Tonic Mystery series, Doghouse finds Ginny getting herself tied up in a possible underground dogfighting ring.  With help from her bartender friend Teddy Tonica, his tabby cat and Ginny’s Shar Pei puppy, they have to figure out what’s going on before someone else gets hurt.”

—Cat Fancy Magazine, November 2014 issue

 

“Human and animal characters are equally appealing.  A thoroughly enjoyable read.”  I Love a Mystery

 

“Doghouse is a crafty mystery with engaging characters and countless unknowns…L.A. Kornetsky makes mysteries inventively delightful, and Doghouse entertains with wit and cleverness.”  Single Titles

 

“I recommend it to those that really like animals and cozy mysteries.”  Books and Things

 

“The third Gin & Tonic “researchtigations” is an appealing anthropomorphist amateur sleuth enhanced by life in a cheerful neighborhood bar. The lead humans and their animal owners remain fresh leads while the case proves bloody in the ring and the bar.”  The Mystery Gazette

 

“Sniffing out clues…L.A. Kornetsky brings back Ginny Mallard and her bartender friend Teddy Tonica, along with Ginny’s pet shar-pei puppy and Teddy’s tabby cat, for their third outing in Doghouse.”  Library Journal

 

Praise for the second Gin & Tonic Mystery, Fixed:

“[Fixed] is the second foray into the lives of a very unlikely pair of investigators; unlikely and a whole lot of fun…Collared was the first title that introduced this extremely fun ‘family and friends’ grouping, and the author has come back with a sequel that will truly make Gin & Tonic a well-known duo! Very light-hearted, this is a great book. Any reader who likes the ‘cozy’ avenue will love this mystery, with a little bit of cat and dog language thrown in for fun.”  Suspense Magazine

 

Praise for the first Gin & Tonic Mystery, Collared:

“The plot moves quickly, enhanced by smart dialog and good characterizations…Recommended for purchase where pet mysteries are popular.”  Library Journal

 

Summary of Doghouse:

Amateur sleuths Ginny Mallard and Teddy Tonica and their furry partners prove in L.A. Kornetsky’s DOGHOUSE (Pocket Books; July 22, 2014; $7.99) that twelve legs are better than four when it comes to solving a risky new case in the third novel from the “entertaining” (Library Journal) Gin & Tonic mystery series.  At her favorite Seattle bar, professional concierge Ginny Mallard can always count on a perfectly mixed gimlet and a friendly welcome for her shar-pei, Georgie, from resident cat, Penny.  On this visit, Ginny gets an unexpected bonus.  One of the regulars asks her and her sometime partner, bartender Teddy Tonica, to save an old friend who’s facing eviction.  This is no simple landlord spat.  Rumors abound of an underground dogfighting ring on the premises—a crime guaranteed to get Gin’s hackles up. Gin and Teddy want to believe the old man is innocent of all charges, thought a new piece of evidence suggests otherwise.  Penny and Georgie keep their noses to the ground as they help their humans investigate the vicious animal rights case.  But the truth is buried deep, and digging it up will unearth dangerous complications for owners and animals alike.

 

About the Author:

L.A. Kornetsky is the author of two previous Gin & Tonic mysteries.  She lives in New York City with two cats and a time-share dog, and also writes fantasy under the name Laura Anne Gilman.  She welcomes visitors to www.lauraannegilman.net, @LAGilman and Facebook: L-A-Kornetsky. 

 Thank you Cristina for your Guest Review.

~Susi

 

Cover Reveal & Teaser- Made by J.M. Darhower @JMDarhower

I am a huge fan of J.M. Darhower.  Sempre and Sempre Redemption have a very special place in my heart.  I am thrilled to share her new cover for her latest book, Made, as well as her two novellas Friends and Forever to be released the same day. Enjoy!

 

MADE: A Sempre Novel

by J.M. Darhower

This is a prequel spin-off of the Forever Series

Release Date: October 27, 2014

 

 

Blurb:

 

Corrado Moretti.

 

The world knows the notorious Kevlar Killer, but few have ever seen what lies beneath his armor. The abused child. The neglected teenager. The broken man. He always did whatever he had to do in order to survive.

 

It’s kill or be killed.

 

Throughout his life, he has been there in the shadows, a witness to everything from beginning to end. Bound by loyalty and honor, there’s only one thing he would sacrifice it all for: family.

 

Never get close. Never get attached. It’s a lesson that has been brutally pounded into him since childhood, but they’re words the DeMarcos make it difficult for him to follow. Through them he finds love and grieves loss, realizing the world isn’t quite as black and white as it’s made out to be.

 

Made.

 

 

Teaser:

 

The low groan on the first floor roused Corrado from sleep. His eyes snapped open, suddenly alert, as the relentless noise seemed to echo through the house. A window. He often slept with them open a crack to let the air circulate, but someone shoved one open the whole way.

His heart thumped wildly in his chest as he reached onto his bedside stand and grabbed his gun. He habitually checked it, ensuring it was still loaded, and jumped out of bed. There was no time to waste getting dressed; he crept down the hallway in his plaid boxers, his bare feet lightly touching the floor, making not a sound.

The second he made it downstairs, a breeze struck him from the living room. A few steps later he appeared in the doorway, pointing his gun at the form halfway through the window. He flipped off the safety as his finger lightly touched the trigger. Two seconds. Two seconds were all it would take to blow them away.

A pair of wide brown eyes instantly met Corrado’s. “Whoa, there, big guy.”

Just as fast as he’d aimed, prepared to kill whoever was breaking into his house, he lowered the gun. “Dammit, Celia!”

“Nice to see you, too.” She swung both legs inside but remained perched on the windowsill. “You weren’t really going to shoot me, were you?”

“Yes,” he said, no hesitation. “I was.”

“Well, I’m lucky you didn’t.”

“Lucky?” Corrado stared at her with disbelief. “I would’ve shot you, Celia. Two more seconds and I would’ve killed you. And then your father… your father would’ve killed me.”

“Yeah, he probably would’ve.”

“There’s no probably about it. He would’ve mutilated me. You… you wouldn’t have felt a thing. But me…” He shuddered just thinking about it. “What are you doing here? Are you in some kind of trouble?”

“I wanted to talk to you.”

Corrado gaped at her. “You broke into my house to talk?”

“Well, I would’ve called, but I don’t have your number.” Celia stood and strolled around the darkened living room, glancing at his belongings. “Besides, something tells me you’re not the talking-on-the-phone type.”

 

Two Novellas will also be available on October 27th. They will be free eBooks.  I can’t wait to read these!

 

 FRIENDS:

One moment.

One wrong choice.

That was all it took to destroy a friendship.

*takes place before Sempre*

 

FOREVER:

Halloween.

With a three year old.

‘Nuff said.

*takes place after Sempre: Redemption*

About the Author:

 

J.M. Darhower is the USA Today bestselling author of books about the hottest hitmen and the women who find some hope in them. She lives in a tiny town in rural North Carolina, where she churns out more words than will ever see the light of day. She has a deep passion for politics and speaking out against human trafficking, and when she isn’t writing (or fangirling) she’s usually ranting about those things. Chronic crimper with a vulgar mouth, she admits to having a Twitter addiction. You can usually find her there.

 

 

Author’s links:

 

Website: http://www.jmdarhower.com/